Page 4 of Mine to Keep

Chapter Three

“I’m ready,”Veronica said coldly, refusing to actually look at the hulking giant in her kitchen.

Robert Senator had made himself right at home in the two and a half days since Jay hired him to watch over her. He was currently going through her fridge, searching for… what? She had asked him to assign someone else to her. He had assured her that no one else was available. She had then asked Jay to step in. Jay assured her that Robert had an unparalleled reputation in security and was capable of making decisions regarding her safety. Now she was watching in complete frustration as the man stepped out of her refrigerator with a handful of vegetable sticks.

“Don’t have much protein in this place, do you?” he grunted, eying her tight shorts and black T-shirt with the emblem for Allie’s University emblazoned across the front. He didn’t bother to hide the blazing interest from his rugged face.

She crossed her arms over her small breasts and shook her head. “Vegetarian,” she informed him crossly.

His eyes dropped to his own hulking frame, skepticism clear in their hazel depths before returning to her much slighter physique. He shoved a celery stick in his mouth and handed her several vegetables to eat as well. She took them automatically and then set them on the counter with a huff. She was so not eating anything this man gave her. Especially not anything she had cut up herself and stowed away for later.

“I’m going for a run,” she told him shortly and turned on her heel, heading for the door.

He nodded and headed for the spare room where he’d been keeping some of his things. Another issue she’d taken up with Jay and been summarily ignored. “I’ll go change and meet you at the door.”

She could feel her normally nonexistent temper begin to rise. She didn't want to meet the beast man by the door. She wanted to go running on her own. And she would do exactly that, she decided, as soon as she heard the door to the room he’d claimed close behind him. Over the past few days Robert had grown to expect docility from Veronica. She barely spoke to him since he’d up and moved into her space and she’d quietly agreed to every security measure he’d insisted on. Except for meals and showers, she hardly left her bedroom, instead, staying out of sight, downloading books on her e-reader and pretending he didn’t exist. Well, he was about to find out that she wasn’t as easy-going as he thought.

She grabbed her iPhone and ran out the door of her apartment, closing it softly behind her. She raced down the hall to the stairwell, flew down the three flights of stairs to the ground floor, making sure she escaped out the door through the garage instead of the front lobby in case Robert had already noticed she was missing.

She grinned as the breeze swept through her thick black and red hair. Once she hit the street she began running. She didn’t even pause, she just began sprinting for all she was worth, pumping her arms and legs as she put distance between herself and the building she used to think of as safe. She ran like she thought she would soon be caught and forced to go back into his disturbing presence.

Except no one caught her. How could they? No one knew where she went. Everyone was so used to Veronica doing what was expected that for her to disappear was not something anyone would anticipate.

She ran toward the ocean, her favourite escape. She waved at a car that stopped to let her cross the road and then pounded down the asphalt sidewalk next to the park that sloped toward the beach. She breathed deeply, soaking in the damp, salty scent of the ocean and the feel of the sun on her back as she ran. The weight of her iPhone against her arm, snug in its Velcro holder, comforted her while she listened to her favourite running mix. She fixed her gaze on the rolling waves as Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m no Good” pounded along with her.

Veronica was so caught up in the incredible cocktail of endorphins, music and atmosphere that it took her several seconds to realize that someone was pounding along beside her. She whipped her head to the side, bringing her hands up automatically to defend herself. He grabbed so her quickly, wrapping a hand around her throat, that she didn’t have time to shout for help. He shoved her behind a stand of trees, throwing her into the rough bark before she could react. He knocked the earbuds out of her ears with his free hand.

Robert stared coldly down at Veronica as she struggled helplessly against him. She brought her hands up to press against his broad chest, but it was like trying to move a concrete wall. Panic flared bright within her, even though she knew he was just teaching her a lesson. He was barely winded, showing that his conditioning included more than just weights. In contrast, she felt like she was about to die from exertion, both from her run and from the imminent panic attack she was about to have. She wanted to beg for mercy but the hand on her throat only let enough air in for basic life.

“You understand?” he asked, his voice harder than she’d heard him speak before.

She nodded frantically. She would give him anything he wanted if he just took his hands off her. And yes, if she was being honest, she understood. Though terrifying, he’d made his point. She was vulnerable. She could be snatched and harmed in an incredibly short amount of time. Knowing of her traumatic past, Jay had insulated her from his life. He’d never been comfortable discussing the particulars of what he did for a living. Veronica was intelligent and street-smart enough to put the rumours together and come up with the right answer.

Robert eased his hand away from her throat. His eyes softened fractionally as he took in her panic and he dropped a large hand to cup her hip, steadying her. She flinched at the contact. He confirmed her thoughts about Jay, his deep voice rumbling as he spoke, “You know who Le Croix is in this city, you know what he does?”

Veronica nodded silently and brought her hand up to rub her throat. She dropped her gaze from his face, watching the hand that was touching her hip with twitchy awareness. Her heart picked up speed once again as his thumb rubbed, almost absently, against the thin fabric. It felt… almost pleasant.

“You’re not stupid, Veronica, you know he’s into some sketchy shit. There’s a takeover going on in the city right now that he’s involved in. Jay doesn’t have any family except you and that girl of yours. Most competitors, they’ll stay away from family, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure. You understand why you need protection?” he asked, his fingers tightening against her.

She froze, trying to concentrate on his words. His hand spanned her hip from front to back, nearly halfway around. He could crush her if he wanted!

“I-I understand,” she murmured still refusing to look up at him.

He sighed, finally taking his hand off her and shoving it roughly through his hair. She released the breath the she’d been holding and slumped against the tree a little. He took a phone out of the pocket of his baggy running shorts and sent a quick text. He glanced at her, taking in her shaking limbs and drawn features. Her dusky skin would hide any paleness, but she knew the blood had drained from her face.

He reached for her, but she flinched so hard she smacked her shoulder against the tree. Hissing in pain, she reached up to rub the pain away. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She was acting like an idiot. This man wasn’t going to harm her. Granted, he used brutal methods to teach her a lesson in not taking off on her protection detail. Maybe she deserved it. She needed to face reality. By accepting a lifetime of Jay’s money and protection, she wasn’t an entirely innocent victim.

What a fucked-up relationship she had with the younger man. Yet, it had never been anything but a fairytale to her. He’d saved her life on multiple occasions and made it his mission to give Allison the best of everything, even back when he had nothing. How could Veronica not adore him? But now, looking at it through someone like Robert’s eyes, she wondered what he saw. Did he think she was Jay’s mistress? What else could it possibly look like? She was living in a beautiful condo by the ocean, bought and paid for by Jay. She lived off his allowance. Her daughter’s university and expenses were paid for by the notorious kingpin. She fidgeted, realizing she didn’t like the idea that Rob might think Veronica and Jay were together.

“Please… just don’t touch me,” she said, turning to face him, her hand still on her shoulder. She glared up at him and tried stepping to the side of him.

He moved with her, blocking her path. “Are you going to take off on me again?”

“No,” she said softly.

“Look at me when you say that and I might believe it a little more,” he snapped, irritation thick in his voice.

Despite her earlier resolve to stay with her guard, she had an overwhelming urge to knee him in the balls and start running again. She gritted her teeth, tilted her head back and glared up at him. Her mussed up hair swished against her bare shoulders causing her to shiver in the shadows of the tall Arbutus trees.

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